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What have you done for me lately? Performance and brand identification in NASCAR

2010; Inderscience Publishers; Volume: 8; Issue: 1/2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1504/ijsmm.2010.033953

1740-2808

J. Brian O’Roark, William C. Wood, Larry DeGaris,

Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification

In endorsement and sponsorship research, the connection between athletes' performance and brand identification is sparse. In the USA, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is sponsor-driven. While the old line in NASCAR was 'win on Sunday, sell on Monday', the hiring and firing of a driver is often steered by the driver's personality and ability to act in the role of product spokesman. This study uses a two-year sample of 1,000 US fans surveyed by telephone to test whether performance on the track leads to increased visibility of a sponsor. We find that while brand identification is more likely for consistent finishes, driver and sponsor continuity play a more significant role in establishing a link between NASCAR fans and sponsors.